Post subject: Please advice - Which window is the best -Northern VA region

Posted: Tue Aug 06, 2013 3:19 pm

Joined: Sat Aug 03, 2013 9:02 pmPosts: 9

I have been shopping around for windows and have been receiving various quotes for different windows I am looking to replace about 15 windows and have got quotes ranging from $14K to $9K.

Vendor 1 - Thermal Industries - Park avenue triple pane - $14K

Vendor 2 - Vytex Fortis R-5 series quoted around $14K but now offering for $10K

Vendor 3 - Vytex potomac-hp series at $9K

Vendor 4 - Revere windows - Berkshire(with triple pane) for $9K.

I am not sure which one of these is a better as two are from Vytex. The vendor 3 who quoted Vytex- Potomac-hp series has said that the Vytex is no longer selling R-5 where as the Vendor -2 selling Vytex Fortis R-5 series just reduced his quote from 14K to 10K. That was confusing.

Vendor 4 - Revere- Berkshire windows gave a detailed estimate of cost per option like replacing metal spacer with foam and filling the hollow part of the window with mylar foam and triple pane options ranging from $8100 (double pane low e argon) to $9300 (triple pane with argon)

Please advise which is the best option. I am unable to decide between Fortis and Potomac series as they are from the same manufacturer.

I like the Fortis out of that group however, i would look at a higher end brand such as HiMark/Okna in order to differentiate the good frim the not so good.There is a member that frequents this board by the name" windows on washington", he is a very smart guy and one heck of a contractor. At the very least, i would search his name and click is contact button so you can talk with him. He is a super nice guy.

I echo both gentlemen above. Out of your group, the Fortis is the winner, however you would be doing yourself a disservice if you do not contact Windows on Washington. He is a highly respected and prolific contributor here and an industry expert. Excellent people as well, top-flite outfit.

Personally, I'd only look at the Fortis. That said, there are several other products that I personally prefer that should be in the same price range: HiMark/Okna, Softlite Elements and LS, Sunrise Restorations, and I'd probably even throw in the Polaris Ultraweld and Affinity's top offering.

I got a quote for Okna 800 which is 3k over my budget with Vytex potomac series. My wife is worried about the budget and based on the reviews in this forum, okna 800 seems to be better than Vytex product. If I can convince my wife that this 3k is well worth spent that we could recover in the life of product and home. Please advice. It finally came down to Vytex vs Okna 800

The Okna 800 is my personal favorite window due to its combination of looks and performance, and is indisputably a top 3 vinyl window product in the US (not considering some EXTREMELY expensive niche products).Personally I'd choose the 800, and in fact I'd even take the 500 if you want to close the price gap a little bit.

No problemo. ... One thing that I just noticed in your last post however was that you cited the Potomac as one of your final choices. I would not consider the Potomac in the same ballpark as the others. The performance numbers are not terrible by any means, but it is an out-dated design. The Fortis would be the Vytex model of choice, however the Okna 800 and 500 would still rank higher. If my memory serves correct there was another recent poster in your area that was considering the Affinity line as an option as well, and I'd order them:Okna 800 or 500AffinityVytex Fortis.

As masterext alluded to, the service life of the product has to be given weight as well. $3k out of your pocket is certainly nothing to sneeze at, however in a lifespan of 30+ years, it is not nearly as significant.

That depends on what one does with that $3000.If one is taking a loan for the windows the interest on that 3K will add up.That money could be applied to paying off loans, the saving could be huge depending on the interest rate. The money could also be invested and could be worth a bunch or zilch.The way I see it that $3K is not just 3K.Both windows seem well made and should last awhile. Not having directly compared both windows it would be hard to say which would last longer or even how long.It is unlikely that you would recoup the 3K, especially with the higher standard U-value in the Vytex.

It is unlikely that you would recoup the 3K, especially with the higher standard U-value in the Vytex.

Just to clarify npavan, I would agree with the above statement based on energy savings alone. That said, my recommendation is pertaining more to the quality of the product, ie: it's longevity, potential need for service, etc, in addition to some small energy savings that can add up over time. In addition, in my experience the relationship between window quality and performance is akin to compound interest. If you figure the difference between lab tested u-value and air infiltration and then figure out how much that will save you over the years if those ratings are maintained, and if the current energy rates stay the same, it will return a number that while significant, may not be impressive. Now if you take into consideration that fact that energy rates will only go up, and a window's performance will only degrade over time, that number increases exponentially, especially considering that a superior product will maintain a higher level of performance over a longer period of time. Will the savings be a better payoff than investing the $3k as mentioned above? Impossible to say, but most folks would probably disagree given the status of their retirement funds, real estate, etc. in recent years. One last thing to mention is the paramount importance of installation quality in this equation. That aspect deserves substantial weight as well, as it will be a heavy factor in the performance of the windows on day one and year 20.

It is not always about spending more money. It often is about knowing what you are buying and why.Many years ago I was making the transition from selling a popular nationally known window to selling a more efficient window. I had customers that I would show both models to and let them pick. On two occasions I had homeowners who picked the national brand over what I had told them was a more efficient window, there was no cost difference between the two. That winter I got calls from those customers that had chosen the more "known" but less efficient windows about drafts coming through the windows. I hate those calls.You can pick what ever you want and over pay, under pay , or get the best value for the dollar.Pick wisely and know why and what you buy, both in product and installation.theWiondowNerd...

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: Google [Bot], Yahoo [Bot] and 10 guests

You cannot post new topics in this forumYou cannot reply to topics in this forumYou cannot edit your posts in this forumYou cannot delete your posts in this forumYou cannot post attachments in this forum